Movable submarine battery



(No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 1.v

R MACDONALD I MOVABLE SUBMARINE BATTERY- INVENTOR fimu (A (W BY IATTORNEY Patented Au Q WITNESSES:

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

R. MACDONALD. MOVABLE SUBMARINE BATTERY.

Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

- INVENTOR fF nu flmpmhxi BY V Ma ATTORNEY WITNESSES:

(No Model.) S 4 Sheets-Sheet a.

R. MACDONALD. MOVABLE SUBMARINE BATTERY.

No. 458,473. Patented Aug; 25,1891.

WI T NESSSS 11V VENT 0R and/6 .fl lmcel mJ/ ATTORNEY (NoModeL) 4Sheets--Sheet 4.

R. MACDONALD. MOVABLE SUBMA-RINB BATTERY;

No. 458,473. Patented Aug. 25, 1891.

WITNESSES: n9 INVENTOR %4 M Moi/(ll fihwfiwm/(tl fiwau Y ATTORNEY UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE.

RANALD MACDONALD, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORKV MOVABLE SUBMARINE BATTERY.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 458,473, dated August25, 1891.

Application filed October 29, 1890. Serial No. 369,676. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, RANALD MACDONALD, of Brooklyn, in the county ofKings and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Movable Submarine Batteries;- and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a battery which may befloated from place to place and in any desired locality and be for themost part submerged and anchored fast, thereby providing an efficientmeans forharbor and coast defense and for other defensive uses.

Figure 1 is avertical longitudinal sectional view, and Fig. 2 a planview and horizontal sectional View, representing my invention. Fig. 3 isa transverse sectional view on a larger scale, taken in the line 00 0cof Figs. 1 and 2. Fig. at comprises views on a still larger scale ofcertain details of construction. In this figure the lower diagram is anenlarged plan view of one of the guard-blades, hereinafter described,and the upper three diagrams from left to right are respectively front,side,

and rear views of the same.

The hull or float A, which carries the elements of the invention, ismade preferably of metal and with horizontal compartments A. Byadmitting water into these internal compartments A of the hull thelatter may be sunk until it reaches the bottom of the harbor or otherwater locality. In order to retain this hull in the required position,anchors B are provided at the sides thereof, being pivoted to the hull,as shown at b, and having chains a extended over pulleys or wheels I),which latter, being worked by Winches or any other suitable means,enable the anchors to be lowered into the position representedin Fig. 3and thrust into the bottom to hold the hull or float in place, or, onoccasion, to be raised up clear from the bottom into the position shownin dotted outline in Fig.3 when the battery is to be removed. There arealso provided to the sides of the hull laterally-extending spars C,pivoted to the sides of the hull and having attached to them at theirouter ends a stakes C. To the spars C are attached floats D,which may bemade adjustable along the spars by any suitable means.

\Vhen the battery is anchored in place, the spars are thrown downwardand outward, thrusting the points of the stakes into the bottom of theharbor. in which the float is anchored, the floats assisting to properlybalance or sustain the spars. These latter may most properly be made ofnletaliron or steeland serve as supports for the usual or any suitablenet to keep off torpedo-boats, &c. hen the battery is to be moved fromone place to another, the\ spars, with their stakes, are swungupwardinto the vertical position represented in Fig. 3.

Upon the hull or float A is provided a turret T, armored in any suitableWayand preferably hemispherical at the-top. When the battery issubmerged to the requisite degree and resting upon the bottom of theharbor or other water locality, it is this top or upper part of theturret T that projects above the surface of the water, as indicated inFigs. 1 and 3.

It is of course to be understood that the object of submerging the hullis to protect the same by the surrounding or superincurnbentwater,leaving onlya comparatively small area presented by those portionsof the turret above the water exposed to the enemys fire. It is also tobe understood that any desired number of turretsmay be placed upon thefloat or'hull A. That portion of the turret which is exposed abovethesurface of the water when the battery is submerged should be made ofcast-steel or any other suitable material, or armored in any appropriateway. It is provided with port-holes, through which the guns may beprojected for firing and ad- 3' usted to proper loading position, asindicated in Fig. 3. The guns may be worked in-any suitable orappropriate way by means of hydraulic accummulators or other mechanismof any suitable kind. The spars C have their pivotal connection with thehull provided by the attachment of their inner ends to shafts D,arranged around the longitudinal side of the hull or float A, as moreclearly represented in 2, so that by giving an axial movement by anysuitable means or by due connection with any suitable motive power tosaid shafts D the spars may be drawn upward or brought downward, asrequired. As represented in the drawings, the shafts D are provided withcrank-arms CZ, which are connected by suitable pitmen c with theplungersf of the hydraulic engines F. In like manner the anchors B areattached to similar longitudinal shafts G, which are provided withcrank-arms f connected with the pitmen g of the plungers 77, of thehydraulic engines J, so that the requisite axial movement may be givento said shafts in order to move upward or downward the anchors B, as,occasion may require. It is of course to be understood that the shafts DG work in suitable bearings or journals 2' and j, situated at r theproper places along the sides of the float or hull.

In order to provide a defense against the approach of hostile vessels,submarine torpe: does, and the like above the hull when submerged, thelatter is provided with a system of blades K, capable of being laid flatupon those portions of the deck or upper surface of the float or hullnot occupied by the turret. These blades K are provided upon shafts J,the ends of which work in suitable journals or bearings provided to thedeck of the hull or float. These blades have a substantially angularform, as represented in the central diagram of Fig. 4, the sloping edgebeing made sharp, as indicated in the lefthand diagram of said figure,while the back is made broad, as represented in the righthand diagram ofsaid Fig. 4, for the'purpose of strengthening the blades. Each shaft Jis provided with an arm K.

It will be noticed that the blades are placed in parallel longitudinalseries. The crankarms of each series are attached to a long shaft L,which shaft is connected at its end adjacent to the turret to a lever N,actuated by a suitable hydraulic motor, and which at its longitudinalmovement outward raises the blades to a vertical position, asrepresented in Fig. 1, while its reverse or inward movement brings thesame down flat upon the deck of the hull, as indicated in the plan View,Fig. 2.

Upon the under side of the hull orfloat are longitudinal keels R, whichoperate as vertical flanges when the battery is submerged,

hull or float A, having one or more turrets T,

constructed for the working and firing of guns, of spars 0, havingpivotal connection with said hull or float, and stakes 0, attached tosaid spars, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

3. The combination, with a submergeable hull or float A, having one ormore turrets T, constructed for the working and firing of guns, ofanchors B and spars 0, having stakes C, said anchors and spars havingpivotal connection with said hull or float, substantially as and for thepurpose herein set forth.

4. The combination, with a submergeable hull or float A, having one ormore turrets T, constructed for the working and firing of guns, of aseries of guard-blades K, arranged upon the deck of the hull or float,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination, with a submergeable hull .or float A, having one ormore turrets T,

constructed for the working and firing of guns, of one or more series ofguard-blades K, mounted on horizontal pivots on the deck of the floatand provided with crank-arms K, and a rod or rods arranged tosimultaneously actuate the several blades of the series, substantiallyas and for the purpose herein set forth.

6. The combination, with a submergeable hull or float A, having one ormore turrets T, constructed for the working and firing of guns, ofanchors B, secured to a longitudinal rod or rods, by the axial movementof which the anchors maybe raised or lowered, substantially as and forthe purpose herein set forth.

'7. The combination, with a submergeable hull or float A, having one ormore turrets T, constructed for the working and firing of guns, of sparsO, havingstakes O and secured to a rod or rods, by the axial movement ofwhich the spars and their adjuncts maybe raised or lowered,substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

RANALD MACDONALD.

Witnesses:

CHARLES A. HERBERT, THOMAS C. MOORE.

ioo

